Camera carrying cases are well known in the field of photographic equipment. Most effective carrying cases provide a protective shell for the camera when not in use. These cases are designed so that the camera in its case may be carried by a strap around the user's neck, and so that the case remains attached to both user and camera while the camera is in use.
These cases also provide some method for fastening the case in a closed position when the camera resides the case. U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,241 to Hanson discloses a two-piece case having a separate covering for the lens, and fastened by Velcro. U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,973 to Uchin discloses an "ever-ready" camera case wherein a flexible case is interlocked with a camera strap to prevent case misplacement. The Uchin case is fastened shut with a zipper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,819 discloses an air permeable camera case, fastened shut with an adhesive such as Velcro.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,318 to Diegelman discloses a camera case having separate camera-enclosing and lens enclosing portions, joined by a ring assembly and fastened shut with zippers. U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,441 to Klingenstein discloses a snap-fastened camera case with a chart selector. U.S. Pat. No. 2,323,053 to Kupferschmid discloses a soft camera pouch fastened shut by zippers. West German Patent No. 1,155,321 to Croy discloses a snap-fastened camera case with a separable lens portion.
Cases fastened shut by Velcro, snaps, zippers and other auxiliary fasteners have many drawbacks. Although they can be fashioned from flexible and resilient materials, the location of the fasteners make them non-invertible or "one-way" cases. The fasteners are also an additional manufacturing expense, and may be difficult to operate, and eventually may jam or break down rendering the case nonclosable and of limited use. Furthermore, the fixed location of the fastener in some instances restricts the use of the case to cameras of a particular size or configuration.